As those who exposed the National Feedlot Corporation (NFC) scandal are marched off to jail, the site of the ambitious cattle rearing project lies in a tangle of weeds. No cows and no workers were spotted at the 600-ha NFC site in Gemas, Negri Sembilan, where RM250 million in public funds were sunk into a project that has since been left to rot.No one has been found guilty for the failures of the project. But on February 7, Pandan MP Rafizi Ramli, who exposed NFC’s failures, was sentenced to 30 months in jail for revealing bank documents related to the project. The Malaysian Insight recently visited the site, and found two rundown buildings and a crumbling guardhouse at the end of a dirt road a few kilometres from the Gemas-Tampin road. It is a short drive from one of the most modern army bases in the country, the Syed Sirajuddin camp. Past an iconic arch that used to spell out National Feedlot Centre, the dusty road led to a pair of rusty locked gates, beyond which were the two buildings. The only signs of life were the overgrown weeds and the steady drone of crickets. A worker at a nearby oil palm estate said the place has been unoccupied since four years ago."You can see a huge block of buildings there, and one of them was used as a quarters for the workers. The signboard is not that clear so watch out for the water tank," he told The Malaysian Insight."No one stays there any more. No livestock, no workers," said the man who requested anonymity. He was unsure where the workers and the cattle went.

Cows and condosThe feedlot promised to breed 8,000 head of cattle by 2010, but the RM74 million centre in Gemas had only bred 3,289, or 41% of the target, the auditor-general’s report said. The project was supposed to enhance the country’s food security and reduce the need for beef imports.The feedlot was run by NFC, which was headed by Dr Mohamed Salleh Ismail, the husband of Wanita Umno chief Shahrizat Abdul Jalil. The company also received an RM250 million soft loan from the government during the Abdullah Ahmad Badawi administration.In 2011, Rafizi exposed the cattle breeder’s purchases of luxury condominium units. Salleh was charged with four counts of misappropriating a total of RM49.7 million from NFC the same year, but was later acquitted of all charges.In November 2016, Rafizi lost a defamation suit and was ordered to pay Salleh and NFC RM200,000 in damages for claiming that a bank loan taken by the company was used to purchase a condominium.On February 7, Rafizi and former Public Bank clerk Johari Mohamad were found guilty and sentenced to 30 months’ jail by the Shah Alam Sessions Court. The two had breached the Banking and Financial Institutions Act (Bafia) when they leaked account information related to NFC.After the scandal hit national headlines, NFC announced in early 2013 that Kirimitonas Agro Sdn Bhd would be taking over the project, including liabilities, such as the RM250 million loan from the government. Kirimitonas Agro is a joint-venture company between Otoshitos Sdn Bhd and Hannan Food Co. Hannan is Japan’s second-largest cattle operator specialising in the production of wagyu beef.However, Prime Minister Najib Razak said in Parliament in 2013 that the deal was cancelled as the government and Kirimitonas had failed to reach a deal. Kirimitonas still exists and the directors are two Japanese men, and Malaysians Nik Mod Amin and Za’ba Hasrin. The last financial statement the company filed was in 2016, according to a check with Companies Commission.The Malaysian Insight is trying to contact Nik Mod, who is currently overseas.According to past media statements, the Negri Sembilan government said it was in the process of taking back the land it leased to NFC.In 2014, Menteri Besar Mohamad Hasan told the Negri Sembilan Assembly that the 607.5-hectare site was leased to NFC in 2007 through the Menteri Besar Incorporated (MBI).Mohamad, who is also the State Assemblyman for Rantau, said the state government planned to place on the farm 10 cattle and sheep breeders, who would share and manage its facilities. themalaysianinsight

Rafizi : Defeat BN's spin with facts...

Q: Was Rafizi charged for defamationA: No.Q: Then what was he charged for?A: He was charged under BAFIA, for leaking a company's bank details.Q: Was the leaked information real?A: The information was real.Q: So why was Rafizi charged if the details were real?A: Because according to BAFIA, it is a crime to expose a company's banking details.Q: Then why expose if it's a crime?A: Because the said case is of public interest.Q: What public interest?A: A sum of taxpayers' money was borrowed to a company. But instead of using the funds for its original purpose, the compamy used the money to buy condominiums and expensive cars for himself and his children.Q: Why the fuss? As long as it's a loan, the company can repay right?A: The company never repaid the loan.Q: How much was the loan to the company?A: RM250 million.Q: Wow. That's a lot! So did the company face the music?A: No. Nothing happened to them. The government did not charge them, and never bothered to ask the company to repay the loan.Q: Weird. Why does our laws punish people who expose corruption and let corrupted ones go free?A: Because the laws today are not used to protect the people. It is used to protect corrupted and powerful people in the government.

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